Watershed Leaders Network

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Fishers & Farmers Float the Mississippi

August 19, 2016

Local Missouri farmers from the Peno Creek Watershed (Salt River Basin) and Fishers & Farmers steering committee members paddled together in voyageur canoes on the Mississippi River just south of Hannibal, MO in July. Fish biologists learned how the cover crops were doing on local farms and farmers learned more about Mississippi River fish that their conservation practices were protecting. What made this event unique was the opportunity for open discussion between agriculture and conservationists about how best management practices such as managed grazing and cover crops improve farms and fish and wildlife habitat. Fishers & Farmers Partnership hopes to take the lessons learned at this event and apply them across the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Thanks to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Big Muddy Adventures for making this learning experience possible.